Con Slobodchikoff is Professor Emeritus of Biology at Northern Arizona University and CEO of Animal Communications Ltd. He is an expert at decoding animal language, using innovative experimental and analytical techniques. His work has shown that prairie dogs have a sophisticated animal language, having all of the design features of human languages.
Con has been featured in a variety of news media articles and interviews, including magazines such as Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Discover Magazine, People, Reader’s Digest, andBoy’s Life; radio interviews such as “Radiolab,” NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and NPR Flagstaff, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Idaho, and Colorado; on television on NBC Dateline, ABC World News with Peter Jennings, CNN, Country Canada, Quantum (Australia), Tierzeit (Belgian-German TV), Turner Broadcasting, and Brixen Productions (Discovery Channel); and in newspapers including the LA Times, Boston Globe, Denver Post, Arizona Republic, Arizona Daily Sun, Arizona Daily Star, Washington Post, and the New York Times. A joint production by BBC and Animal Planet did a one-hour documentary of his work, shown in 2010 by BBC TV in Europe and in 2011 on Animal Planet as part of theMutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom series.
Con is lead author of the book Prairie Dogs: Communication and Community in an Animal Society (Harvard University Press, 2009), and is author of the forthcoming book on animal language, Chasing Doctor Dolittle (St. Martin’s Press, scheduled for release on November 27, 2012). He has written or co-written some 100 scientific papers and popular articles on animal language, animal behavior, and evolution. He has also edited three books on these topics.
Con also writes or co-writes several blogs, including “Reconnect With Nature Blog” (www.reconnectwithnatureblog.com), “Dog Behavior Blog” (www.dogbehaviorblog.com), and the “Dr Con” page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/doctor.con).
Con has a B.S. and a Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley.